July 29, 1806
Meriwether Lewis
Shortly after dark last evening a violent storm came on from N.W. attended with rain
hail Thunder and lightning which continued the greater part of the night. no having
the means of making a shelter I lay in the water all night. the rain continued with
but little intermission all day. I intend halting as soon as the weather proves fair
in order to dry our baggage which much wants it. I placed the two Fieldses and
Colter and Collins in the two smallest canoes <on> with orderes to hunt, and kill
meat for the party and obtain as many Elkskins as are necessry to cover our canoes and
furnish us with shelters from the rain. we set out early and the currant being
strong we proceeded with great rapidity. at 11 A.M. we passed that very interesting
part of the Missouri where the natural walls appear, particularly discribed in my outward
bound journey. [The Stone Walls and White Cliffs of the Missouri. See May
31, 1805.] we continued our rout untill late in the evening and
encamped on the N.E. side of the river at the same place we had encamped on the 29th of
May 1805. [Lewis's camp was on the north side of the Missouri about a mile above
the mouth of Arrow Creek (Lewis and Clark's Slaughter River).] on our
way today we killed 9 bighorns of which I preserved the skins and skeletons of 2 females
and one male; the flesh of this aninmal is extreemly delicate tender and well flavored,
they are now in fine order. their flesh both in colour and flavor much
resembles mutton thought it is not so strong as our mutton. the eye is large and
prominant, the puple of a pale sea green and iris of a light yellowish brown colour.
these animals abound in this quarter keeping themselves principally confined to the
steep clifts and bluffs of the river. we saw immence hirds of buffaloe in the high
plains today on either hand of the river. saw but few Elk. the brown Curloo
has left the plains I presume it has raised it's young and retured to some other climate
and country. as I have been very particular in my discription of the country as I
ascended this river I presume it is unnecesssesary her to add any-thilng further on that
subject. the river is now nearly as high as it has been this season and is so thick
with mud and sand that it is with difficulty I can drink it. every little
rivulet now discharges a torrant of water bringing down imme[n]ce boddies
of mud sand and filth from the plains and broken bluffs.--
July 29, 1806
John Ordway
cloudy and rain we Set out as usal and proceeded on fast Saw
large gangs of buffals. and Elk. R. Frazer killed an Elk. we took the hide and Some of the
meat about 11 A. M. we entered the high clay broken country white
clay hills and the white walls resembling ancient towns & buildings &C. [The
Stone Walls and White Cliffs of the Missouri River.] Saw a flock of
big horn or Ibex on the top of those walls. we halted and the 2 Fields killed
two large Rams which had large horns. Capt Lewis had them Scallintinized [skeletonized]
and all the bones & horns as well as the Skin [preserved] to take to
the Seat of government. we dined and procd. on passing the white pleasant walls and Stone
wall Creek [Eagle Creek] and on our way this after noon we killed Seven
more Ibex along these clay & Stone hills and knobs, where these animels live
generally. Capt Lewis had two of the femail Scallintineized also. we had a
Shower of rain. Saw buffaloe &c &c.
July 29, 1806
Patrick Gass
Early in a cloudy morning we commenced our voy age [sic] from the mouth of Maria's
river; and the current of the Missouri being very swift, we went down rapidly. At noon we
saw some Ibex or Bighorns at the entrance of a range of high rough hills; and we halted
and killed two of them. Having dined we proceeded on again, and in our way, during the
afternoon, killed seven more of these mountain sheep. There are few other animals in this
range of high country. In the evening we encamped opposite the mouth of Slaughter river [About
a mile above the mouth of Arrow Creek, where the expedition camped May 29, 1805.],
and Captain Lewis had four of these animals skeletonized, to take with him to the seat of
Government of the United States. A considerable quantity of rain fell in the course of the
day.
July 29, 1806
William Clark
N. 25o W. |
5 |
miles to the enteranc of a dry Brook in a Lard.
bend near the high land. passed 8 islands & 3 br |
East |
3 |
miles to a the enterance of a Brook in the
Stard. Bend below an Island |
N. 10o W. |
1 1/2 |
miles to a Lard. bend |
East |
1 1/2 |
miles to a <Clift> Bluff on Stard. Side |
N. 40o E |
4 1/2 |
miles to a lower part of a Std. Bluff
bluff low. wind from N. |
N. |
1 1/2 |
miles to a few trees in a Lard Bend |
East |
6 |
miles to a low bluff on the Stard. Side
passed an Island and a large dry Brook at 5 miles & Som wood |
N. 76o E. |
3 |
miles to a Coal Bluff on Stard
passed an Isld. and a dry Brook on Stard. sd. |
N. 40o E. |
1 |
miles under the Coal Bluff Std. |
North |
4 |
miles to the upper part of the Lard. Bluff.
passed an Island and a large Brook on the Stard. Side. and a low dry Brook or bead
on the Lard. |
N. 55o E |
2 <3> 1/2 |
Miles to a Lard. point (dined) low bottom
on each Side killed a Black Tail deer |
N. 20o E |
1 <2> 1/2 |
Miles to a Lard. Bluff Several Strates of Coal
in the hills 1 mile back |
N. 60o E |
1 1/2 |
Miles to a point of rocks on the Lard. Side
passed a bar Ld. |
N. 30o E |
3 <1 1/2> |
miles to a point on Std. Side pd a Sand
near which the [blank] River comes near the Stard Shore |
N. 45o E |
2 |
miles to the enterance of [blank] 150 yds.
Passed an isld. and 2 bars wate 1/4 of a mile banks. Bluffs on Lard. wate of R muddy
& worm |
N. 32o E. |
2 1/2 |
mile to the lowr part of the wood in the Stard.
bend opsd. the had of an island |
|
44 1/2 |
|
July 29, 1806
William Clark
A Slight rain last night with hard thunder and Sharp lightening accompanied with a
violent N.E. wind. I Set out early this morning wind So hard a head that w
made but little way. in the fore part of the day, I saw great numbers of Buffalow on
the banks. the country on either Side is like that of yesterday. passed three
large dry Brooks on the Stard. Side [Cottonwood, Moon, and either Snell, Lignite,
or Coal creeks on the south side of the Yellowstone. One of them would likely be the
"Dry Brook" shown below the "Mar shas kap River" and the camp of July
28 on Clark's map.] and four on the Lard Side. [Probably Bull, Wilson,
Whitetail, and Steiger or Reservation creeks on the north side of the Yellowstone.]
great quantities of Coal in all the hills I passed this day. late in the evening I
arived at the enterance of a River which I take to be [NB: called by Indian]
the Lazeka or Tongue River [The Tongue River meets the Yellowstone at Miles City.]
it discharges itself on the Stard. Side and is 150 yards wide of water the
banks are much wider. I intended to encamp on an eligable Spot imediately below this
river, but finding that its' water So muddy and worm as to render it very disagreeable to
drink, I crossed the rochejhone and encamped on an island close to the Lard. Shore. [This
camp was below Tongue River, opposite, and north of Miles City. On his map it is placed on
the south side of the Yellowstone below the Tongue River.] The water
of this river is nearly milk worm very muddy and of a <dark> lightish brown
Colour. the Current rapid and the Chanel Contains great numbers of Snags. near
its enterance there is great quantities of wood Such as is common in the low bottoms of
the Rochejhone and Missouri. [NB: it heads in Cote Noir
<with> has 2 branches 1 Heads with the Chayenne & 1 with one of the
Big H's branches] [One of the branches is likely Pumpkin Creek and the other the
Tongue River which rises in the Bighorn Mountains. Neither has its source near the
Cheyenne River in east-central Wyoming.] tho' I believe that the Country back
thro' whic this river passes is an open one where the water is exposed to the Sun which
heats it in its passage. it is Shallow and throws out great quantities of mud and
Some cors gravel. below this river and on the Stard Side at a fiew Miles from the
Rochejhone the hills are high and ruged Containing Coal in great quantities. Beaver is
very plenty on this part of the Rochejhone. The River widens I think it
may be generally Calculated at from 500 yards to ahlf a mile in width more
Sand and gravelly bars than above. cought 3 cat fish. they wer Small and fat.
also a Soft Shell turtle. [Western Spiny Soft Shell Turtle, Trionyx
spiniferus hartwegi.]
Course Distance & Remarks July 29th
|
|
M |
N. 25o W. |
to the enterance of a dry Brook [EC: Bull]
[Probably Wilson Creek.] in a Lard. Bend near the high lands.
passed 8 islands & three Sand and gravelly bars |
5 |
East |
to the enterance of a brook [EC: Teepee]
[Probably Theade Creek on the south side of the Yellowstone above Cottonwood Creek; it is
"Dry Brook" on Clark's map.] in the Stard. Bend below a Small island |
3 |
N. 10o W. |
to a Larboard Bend |
1 1/2 |
East |
to a Bluff on the Stard. Side |
1 1/2 |
N. 40o E |
to the lower part of a Stard. Bluff |
4 1/2 |
North |
to a fiew trees in a Lard Bend |
1 1/2 |
East |
to a low Bluff on the Stard. Side
passed an island. also a large dry Brook Turtle Creek [Probably Moon
Creek. It is "Turtle dry creek 40 yds wide" on Clark's map.] at 5 Miles
on the Stard Side on which there is Some wood |
6 |
N. 76o E. |
to a Coal Bluff on the Stard Side
passed an island and a dry brook [Probably Lignite Creek.] on Stard. Side |
3 |
N. 40o E |
under the Coal Bluff on Stard. Side |
1 |
North |
to the upper part of a Lard. Bluff
passed an island and a large brook on he Stard. Side & a large Bead or dry brook on
the Lard Side [Coal Creek on the starboard and Reservation Creek on the larboard.] |
4 |
N. 55o E. |
to a lard. point low bottom on each
Side |
2 1/2 |
N 20o E. |
to a Lard Bluff (coal to be Seen in the hills 1
m from R.[)] |
1 1/2 |
N 60o E. |
to a point of rocks on the Lard. Side
passed a Sand bar |
1 1/2 |
N. 30o E |
to a point on Stard Side near which the river is
within 100 paces of Tongue river |
3 |
N. 45o E. |
to the enterance of Le-ze-ka or
Tongue river on the Stard. Side 150 yds wide. passed an Island |
2 |
|
Miles |
41 |
|